The Mighty Subcontinent
So yes, I am in the place I have been fearing for the duration of my trip. So far things have actually been okay, it has not been the scary place that I thought it would, however it is not like I have been traveling much or at all since I got here. Currently, I am in Kochi in the southern India and in the state of Kerala, one of the wealthiest states. By western standards it is by no means a bed of roses, but it is okay. No more worse than such places that I have been to such as Vietnam or Guatemala. Nonetheless, I am still waiting to have the India madness hit me as I continue traveling with it's slums and prostitutes and filth. I am definitely not getting that here, not that I necessarily want that, but it is part of the India experience. Oh, and the men have been okay here as well. There is also a heavy Catholic influence here, with quite a few churches. All left over from the Portuguese colonization.
Today I did a tour of what they call the backwaters of Kerala, one of the most touristy things to do here. It is like cruising through canals and rivers a la Disneyland's Jungle Cruise, except it is the real thing and no crazy wild animals. Quite pleasant I must say. My plans were to walk around the town tomorrow and just relax. I really am trying to go north to Goa, but trains are booked for the weekend so it looks like I will not leave until Monday evening. There are so many trains here that it is really confusing. But I guess this is what you get when you travel in a country with a population over a billion people.
So I am just taking it day by day, being really careful about what I eat, remembering to take my malaria meds. I still do not know about India yet, as I just barely have experienced it. But so far I feel okay in the place that I am at.
Today I did a tour of what they call the backwaters of Kerala, one of the most touristy things to do here. It is like cruising through canals and rivers a la Disneyland's Jungle Cruise, except it is the real thing and no crazy wild animals. Quite pleasant I must say. My plans were to walk around the town tomorrow and just relax. I really am trying to go north to Goa, but trains are booked for the weekend so it looks like I will not leave until Monday evening. There are so many trains here that it is really confusing. But I guess this is what you get when you travel in a country with a population over a billion people.
So I am just taking it day by day, being really careful about what I eat, remembering to take my malaria meds. I still do not know about India yet, as I just barely have experienced it. But so far I feel okay in the place that I am at.